The Baby Shard

Developers and architects of the Shard (Sellar/Renzo Piano) are to build a 26-storey tower of 148 luxury flats next door to the Shard.

Sellar had submitted a viabilty assessment claiming that the on-site provision of affordable housing would render the development unviable and had originally promised to provide the affordable housing off-site on the Wood Dene estate, which is currently being redeveloped by Notting Hill Housing.

The Addendum for the Shard Trilogy’s planning committee report,
says that it was decided that the Wood Dene estate was too far out and that sites will be found closer.

In 2016, the developer signed an agreement with Hyde Housing association to provide its affordable housing at Hyde’s Sylvan Grove development off the Old Kent Road.

The agreement with Hyde shows that Sellar has paid for the conversion of private units in the development to affordable housing in the following tenure mix:

9 Shared ownership units

5 Affordable rent units

11 Social rent units

The affordable rent units are not compliant with Southwark’s planning policy which requires social rented tenure.

In addition, the total number of units falls short of the 35% requirement. Southwark agreed to accept just a £2m in-lieu payment in respect of this shortfall.